Auxiliary evaporating coil for the ice-making section of refrigerators



April 3, 1951 J. PLUMERI AuxILIARY EvAPoRATING con Fox THE ICE-MAKING SECTION OPREFRIGERATORS 2 Smets-sheet l Filed Jan. 27, 1948 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS pril 3, 1951 .1. PLUMERI 2,547,595

AUXILIARY EvAPoRATING con. FOR 'mE ICE-MAKING sEcTIoN oF REFRIGERAToRs 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 27, 1948 INVENTOR.

TTUKNEKS' Patented Apr. 3, 1951 AUXILIARY EVAPORATING CKOIL FOR THE ICE-MAKING SECTION OF RE FRIGERATORS John Plumeri, Trenton, N. J., assignor to Kramer .Trenton Company, Trenton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 27, 1948, Serial No. 4,644

. Claims. (Cl. Y(S2-126) This invention relates to refrigerating equipment and, more particularly, to an auxiliary evaporating coil for the ice making section of refrigerators, and has for an object to provide such an evaporating coil which is adapted to einbrace three sides, including the back side, of the ice making section.

Another object is to provide such a coil which is so constructed as to establish a continuous channel for the circulation of the refrigerant therethrough.

Another object is to provide such a coil which is substantially U-shaped and in which the tube or conduit carries fins at its substantially ninety degree curved corners as well as along its straight portions or runs. A

Another object is to provide such a coil which is simpler and more economical to produce and install than a plurality of independent coils.

Another object is to provide such a coil which is, in effect, three coils in one, but which does not require means for interconnecting independent or distinct coil units during installation.

Another object is to provide such a coil which has a notably greater refrigerating elect than three independent coils each of substantially one third its size.

Another object is to provide such a coil which takes advantage and makes use of the vacant space that customarily exists behind the ice making section of refrigerators of standard or usual types.

Another object is to provide such a coil which has improved means for attaching it to an ice making section.

A further object is to provide certain improvements in the form, construction, and arrangement of the several parts, whereby the above named and other objects may be elfeotively attained.

A practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 represents a front elevation of the new evaporating coil;

Fig. 2 represents a, top plan view thereof as associated with an ice making section, the latter being shown in broken lines;

Fig. 3 represents a side elevation thereof; and

Fig. 4 represents a section taken in the plane of the line IV-IV of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

In certain types of refrigerating equipment there is included an ice making section which not only produces the frozen cubes but also, through radiation from its Walls and its trays, serves to chill the air within the main storage chamber of the refrigerator. While these functions are generally performed to satisfaction in the case of domestic equipment, it has been found that, in commercial installations, the refrigerator is subjected to such heavy use that the ice maker is not adequate to the load placed upon it and the air within the storage chamber is not suiciently cooled. A good illustration of this is the reachin refrigerator which is opened with great frequency and, moreover, is often located in the kitchen of a restaurant.

To obviate this difficulty resort has been had to the provision of an auxiliary evaporating coil which is secured at one side of the ice making section. This auxiliary unit is commonly known as a booster coiland, in some cases, two are secured to the ice maker, one at each side. While this practice has improved the functioning of the equipment, it has also entailed disadvantages chiefly With respect to manufacturing and installation expense. Each auxiliary or' booster evaporatingcoil is a complete and distinct unit produced as such and attached as such to the ice making section; each unit having its own return bends on its tube or conduit, and requiring to be coupled in series with the coil of the ice maker and with the other booster coil, when two have been used, in order to provide a continuous circulation path for the refrigerant.

The present invention solves the previously existing problem, eliminates to a large extent the disadvantages attendant upon earlier attempts at its solution, and greatly increases the effectiveness and efliciency of the equipment.

Turning now to the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the coil includes a tube Ior conduit denoted generally by I, which may be composed of suitable metal such as copper, brass or aluminum and consists of several (ve in the present instance) superposed portions or runs 2, 3, il, 5, 6, with their ends connected by bends l, 8, 9, I0, in order to provide a continuous path or channel, having an inlet II and an outlet I2, for the flow of refrigerant. 'I'he said bends may be unitary with the tube or may consist of separate pieces suitably secured to the straight runsI as by threading, brazing, soldering, etc., all as is Well understood in this industry.

The tube or conduit I is bent into U-form, as is Well shown in Fig. 2, which step may be performed, in any one of several Ways known to operatives in this eld, on each of the portions 2,3."415, 6, individually if they are to be fitted7 with separate bends 1, 8, 9, I0; or on a unitary tube as a Whole after it has been formed into a superposed series of runs lying in the same vertical plane; and each end of the U is provided with a header plate I3, I4, preferably composed of suitable sheet "metal, which `headers .have holes I5 K'formed therethrough to receivethe runs of the tube and are fixed to the latter, as by soldering.

operatively associated with the tube or conduit are a multiplicity of fins I6 which, as customary, may be stamped from thin sheet copper, aluminum, or brass, and be secured in close thermal contact with :the tube-by expansion of the latter and soldering, or -other equivalent procedure. It will be observed that ns are positioned on the curved corners of Athe tube, las well shown in Fig. 2, thereby taking advantage of the full length of the runs of the tube which is permitted because they are unitary from end to end. VThe fins may be provided with-any suitable vor approved means 'for spacingthem substantially uniformly on the tube, several forms of such means being Well -known lin this industry, and no such means being .herein yshown as it constitutes no part of ythe present invention. The peripheral shape of the fins is also optional, but I have found it desirable to make them substantially .square and of such size 'that those 'on each run of the tube abut or approximately abut those on adjacent runs.

The U-shape of the auxiliary booster coil .as a whole ts it to embrace `three sides of anormal or standard ice `making section of a refrigerator, as illustrated in Fig. v2, where the ice making section is conventionally represented in .broken lines and denoted generally by I7; the association of the parts being such as to `leave the `front part or face of the vice making section accessible for insertion and .removal of kthe ice trays, two of which areshown in broken .lines and marked I8, I8. Hangers I9, I9, vare secured tothe ice making section I1 in any appropriate manner, such as by soldering or brazing or riveting them to two sides or the top thereof, the former 'pos'iy,

tioning being shown in fthe drawing, and their upper ends maybe bent, as wellshown in Fig. 1, where the hangers 4are represented 'as "broken to save drawing space, for the purpose of suspending the ice making unit from the top wall of the refrigerator by screws or the like `passing through holes 2B formed in the said bent upper ends. The header plates I3, I'4, are Vformed with inner flanges 2I, V22, lfor :fastening the auxiliary or booster coil to the `ice making v-se`c tion by securing the said header rplates ldirectly thereto or, as shown in the drawing, to the hangers I9, I9, which may be accomplished vby screws 23 passing through holes in said'flan'ges, or in any other approved manner; the Ifastening screws being preferably distributed at vsuitable intervals from the upper part to the lower part of the header plates in order to insure rigidity of attachment. The header plates vare also provided with outer-flanges 24, 24, Ito 'stifen the'said parts.

The inlet and outlet Il, I2, 'of the tubefo'r'conduit may be connected with the tube or conduit of 'the evaporator unit-of the ice making section in order to provide a continuous channel or passage Yfor the refrigerant circulating y'through the vsystemfas will be Sowell understoodfbythose familiar with this -i-ndustryfasto call for neither illustration -nor Afurther description; for, if "it should be f'so desired under any particular cir-.-

cumstances, the said inlet and outlet of the tube of the auxiliary or booster unit may be connected to a separate source of refrigerant circulation.

If, in the construction of this unit the vbends B, 9, I9, are formed separately, they may be attached to the Y'ends of the tube runs after the header plates l'|3, 14, and "of course, the 0fins have been positioned on the tube with the latter pass- 'ling through the round holes in the header plates ,and .fins shown 'in the drawings. But, in cases Awhere the said bends constitute integral parts of the v:tubepthe header plates and ns will need to be provided with apertures of such size and shape as ito permit Athe passage of the bends ltherethrough .during assembly of the parts.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with 'the drawings, it will be observed that this invention provides, in a single structure, 'auxiliary evaporating surface area equivalent to that which would be supplied by three separate -coils secured to three sides of the :ice making section or `unit and, indeed, the effective larea vof this auxiliary coil exceeds that of three such lseparate coils -because it embodies tube portions carrying fins at their curved corners, the bends which would Vbe positioned -at these points in the case of separate coils lbeing eliminated -in lthe present structure.

vAgain, 'there is a substantial economy yin the cost of producing the subject Vmatter of this invention as compared with three separate coils, or even two separate coils, because `the expense of I'giving its =Ushaped form -to `this unitary structure -is substantially less than -that 'of manufacturing even two complete separate coils. Furthermore, the mounting of this coil on the ice making unit Vis La simpler and 4less expensive procedure than lthe mounting of two or three individual coils thereon; and 4such mounting involves no .requirement of establishing an interconnection between two or three separate auxiliary or booster coils. As Athere is generally, if not invariably, waste room Aor space at the back side of the ice fmaking unit in refrigerators, that portion -of "the U-shaped coil lforming the subject .matter 'of this invention ywhich lies along the back side does not occupy any valuableor otherwise useful space within the refrigerator. This, in sum, y.it may be said that this invention :provides a `single `unit with greatly increased capacity vor effectiveness as compared with previous arrangements of auxiliary or boost-'- er coils; 'and that there Lis also achieved greater economy, :rigidity and simplicitylin the manufacture and mounting or association =of the '.part's'; whil'ethe coil'is readily adapted to use in stand ard and approved ,kinds of refrigerators without the l'necessity V-of redesigning -or rearranging the essential parts. While 1the A:U-shape herein shown and described lends itself to the fullest attainment of the objects of this invention, an L-shape which Tis fitted -to embrace only two sides, including the -back side, of the ice making` section may be adopted with -result's 'conn stituting -a substantial advantage over previous practices.

In the claims the word sides is used "in its broad sense -so as to Linclude the back side of the ice making section.

-It will -be understood vthat various changes may be resorted to in the form, construction, material and arrangement of the several parts without Vdeparting ffrom the lspirit or rscope of the invention; and hence I do not intendto be limited ^t'o details 'herein shown or described Aexcept as the same may be included in the claims or be required by disclosures of the prior art.

What I claim is: 1. In combination, an ice making section of a refrigerator and an evaporating unit embracing at least two sides of said section, said evaporating unit embodying a plurality of angular shaped tube portions connected at their ends to establish a continuous channel for the flow of refrigerant, header plates secured to the ends of said tube portions, and means attaching the header plates to the said ice making section. 2. In combination, an ice making section of a refrigerator and an evaporating unit embracing three sides of said section, said evaporating unit embodying a plurality of substantially U shaped tube portions connected at their ends to establish a continuous channel for the ow of refrigerant, header plates secured to the ends of said tube portions, and means attaching the header plates to the said ice making section. 3. In combination, lan ice making section of a refrigerator and an evaporating unit embracing three sides of said section, said evaporating unit embodying a plurality of substantially U- shaped tube portions connected at their ends to establish a continuous channel for the flow of refrigerant, hangers for supporting the said section fastened thereto, header plates secured to the ends of said tube portions, and means attaching the header plates to the said hangers.

4. In combination, an ice making section of a refrigerator and an evaporating unit embracing three" sides of said section, said evaporating unit embodying a plurality of substantially U- shaped tube portions connected at their ends to establish a continuous channel for the iiow of refrigerant, vertically elongated header plates secured tothe ends of said tube portions, Vertically elongated flanges on said header plates, and means for attaching said flanges to the ice making section for assembling the combination.

JOHN PLUMERI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

